When will my 1 year old sleep through???

[Frangipani]

I guess this is both a vent and also open to any advise which may help thread.... anything is worth a go (apologies for it being soooo long )

DS2 has just turned 1 and I was hoping this would be when he would finally sleep through - as its getting exhausting functioning on an average of 5-6 hours broken sleep a night. Both DH and I are exhausted and having to work on limited sleep is not the best thing especially DH who is a truck driver - so sleep is super important for him and everyone else on the roads. I work in a bank so you could only imagine the after effect of me stuffing up someones banking etc (haven't done it yet though and don't want to - hate having people yell at me for other peoples/system errors utterlone having them yelling at me for an error I've made). Its also making me sooo cranky. I'm constantly yelling at both my boys and DH - as is DH to us - over silly little things. Even the house work is lacking....we just can't be bothered. I do the basics of course - but that is getting to be a struggle. Thank goodness my mum comes to look after my boys on my work days so that takes the pressure off a little with her doing some of my little chores (most of them she does on her own accord ). It also motivates me to have a semi-clean house for when she gets here too (cause I don't want her doing too much - she's doing alot already for us by looking after my boys).

Anyway thats my little rant over (maybe)....so is there anything different I can do to encourage sleeping through.

I know he can do it....he actually slept through for about 3 weeks from 9.5weeks (so funny - DS1 began sleeping through around that age too- so when DS2 was 9.5weeks - that night as I put him into bed I said he had better pull his socks up and start sleeping through - as his brother did then so he better do so too - and he did ...for 3 weeks only though - unlike his brother who has done almost ever since). We've also had some occassional sleep throughs probably averages out to every 3-4 weeks he'll do one night (but my boys must tag team cause usually that'll be the night DS1 - who will be 3 in May - will wake up screaming in the middle of the night). But then within the next few nights he'll be up a few times so I/we'd be lucky to get 3-4 hours sleep that night (and doesn't help I find it hard to go to sleep - with mixture of normal worry and then waiting - waiting for him to cry at the sometimes regular time of 10.30-11pm'ish).

Then for the last few nights he has woken around 11pm-12am'ish and won't go back to sleep (well not without a fight)...he'll just scream when layed back down and just figits when being cuddled (plays with my necklace, my hair, gives me pats etc).

So things we have tried...he goes to bed around the same time - 7.30pm'ish (its the only time that really suits us all) and we've always had a similar bedtime routine. He doesn't have any issues in going to bed...usually has a little BF and straight into his cot in his own room (always has) and even if he is awake - he'll still self settle to sleep - no crying at all. And most of his night wake ups are similar either falls asleep BF'ing or once he is back in his cot (except for the last couple of weeks) - so I know its not all that bad - could be worse...but its still broken sleep and limiting our sleep (takes a while to fall back to sleep again most times too). He is now on solids and drinks cows milk too as well as BF'ing usually morning, evening and through the night - though have been wanting to try to cut this out - though the last few weeks have not allowed this to happen - our bedrooms are all close together and walls ain't the thickest - so can't have DS2 crying and carrying on too much or he'll wake DH - if he is still asleep or DS1 in the next room. We have a little night light on all night (like one of those plug in to powerpoint ones that just omit a little amount of red light) - we've tried not having it on too - no difference. We've got a sleeping music cd - which usually we put on when they go to bed only - we've also tried playing it all night on repeat - no difference. He is cloth bottomed - so I have also tried disposables hoping it would be less bulky and more absorbant. He has had bottles before bed (before 1 he had an occassional formula bottle). He has good day sleeps (varies between 1 or 2 depending on what time he wakes in the morning - but all up has about 3 to 4 hours) - and we've had days where he has had minimal sleep - and that is usually a really bad night. He has an amber teething necklace - which I believe helps alot with teething - but has had not effect on sleep (not sure if its meant to - but I know a few people who seems to think it helped with their baby sleeping). Co-sleeping is not an option - our bed is rather high - so until he has learnt to turn and slide off I just would not take the chance of having him in our bed (plus as mentioned DH needs as good of a night sleep as possible for work). I've also eliminated that 160b/annatto preservative (not that he had much of that anyway). We've done sleeptime baths before bed and massages. Nothing has made a difference.

So what else is there to try??? Or do I we just have to continue to wait it out (and enjoy a coffee or 3 ). If that is the case...then please give us the worse case scenario....when did your baby now turned toddler start sleeping through finally?

Sorry for the ramble...can you tell I'm tired - I ramble when I'm tired .

So if you got through all this....thank you...and if you can suggest anything....thank you even more.

[Jellyfish]

Since you asked, my 23mo DD still doesn't sleep through and usually still feeds 2-3 times a night. I think I can count on one hand the amount of times she's slept right through. Can you get to bed earlier at all to try and maximize the amount of sleep you get, even if it is still broken?

[Miss.September]

My DD is the same age as Jellyfish and she goes to bed at 7.30 - 8.30, sleeps until 11.30 and then she's up. She'll stay up unless we put her into our bed. She initially wasn't going to bed until 10.30 - 11, but that was when she was having a day sleep. We cut them out around the 14 months mark if I remember correctly.

Is he hating the cot already? Could you move him to a mattress on the floor, or sleep on a mattress beside him and see if that makes a difference? We're about to try that with DD. Good luck, I hope someone has an answer for you

[Laranna]

I'd like to have an answer for you but I don't
My DD is 13 months and not sleeping through. She wakes 2-3 times a night for a feed. Functioning on broken sleep is hard work! I understand how you feel xx

[hj1981]

sorry to say this but my DD1 is 28months old and still dosen't sleep through! and never has since the day she was born! we still get up to her at least 2-3times a night! im hoping one day she will and im sure that day will be when she turns 13! the teenage years! LOL
I keep warning her about Karma, and that i will get payback when she is a teenager but she still dosen't listen!

[Heaven]

My DD was still waking 3 times a night at 1 year old. After that she gradually got better and was sleeping through every night by 18 months. Hang in there

[helle]

Glad it's not just mine!!

I keep getting different reports...
it's because you feed him to sleep..
it's because you let him feed back to sleep when he wakes up
because he can't Self settle blah blah balh

in the end i've just thrown my hands up in the air and I go with it. DS has nothing else but my boobs as his comfort "thing" whats the difference between that and a dummy?

Can your DH and You do shifts? So one night you get a whole nights sleep, the next he does. (altho this doesn't work for us at all, DH works with heavy machinery and needs sleep, and has no boobies ><;

[RoyaUK]

Your DS sounds exactly like my DD3. From my limited experience of 3 girls, DD1 started sleeping longer at 16 mths, DD2 started sleeping at 2.5 yrs (EXCEPTIONALLY BAD SLEEPER - 5 times a night from 6 months to 2.5 yrs...but that's another story) and DD3 is behaving just like your DS.

I understand how you feel. My approach is that it will improve in time. I know it will. What helped with me was when my DD1 was around 15 mths, DH started putting her to bed. I brought forward the BF to 6.45pm and then DH would settle her to sleep in her room. Initially in the rocking chair, then in the cot with his hand on her & a soft song. He did this for a week and then i did the same approach if i was putting her to bed. I still fed her in the night if needed but it quickly became just the occasional feed. I think it was probably a coincidence but DH being able to settle her and her sleep improving did happen at the same time. She was just ready i think.

Sorry, i've rambled. No real advice other than i know it will improve in time. Good luck!

[Frangipani]

I just wanted to come back and say a thank you for all your replies.

Sorry to say this ...but its comforting to know I'm not alone though.

But in saying that we've had a little bit of progress since I posted. For the last 2 nights DS2 has been sleeping from 7.30pm til 5 or 5.30am - that doesn't mean I got really good sleep though DS1 has been having restless sleeps instead ...ahh well...can't have my cake and eat it too I guess . But at least there is now hope that 1 day they both might sleep all the way through and I'll have a full 8 hour non broken sleep....something I haven't had for a very long time (as most of you wouldn't have either). But there is hope and that is all I need for now...and very strong coffee